$2.99 for spring water I don’t remember buying
$7.99 for Momofuku Ssam sauce
$1.49 x 2 because we forgot to bring bags
$2.99 for grape tomatoes
$3.99 for strawberries

Budget Breakout

This week, I spent $110.26; $10.26over budget. Grrrrr. I had hoped this would be a cheap week – I started the week with enough CSA meat and veggies to mostly make it through, and only needed a few expensive staples (which were hella expensive at Whole Foods). All of this added up. Plus, add in $20.94 in impulse buys because I have zero self-control and impulse shopped for groceries. Boo.

Leftovers From This Week

At the end of the week, I have broccoli raab, london broil, emergency burgers, garlic tails, roasted garlic, fats, a couple radishes and a few carrots left over. I need to incorporate these items into my menu for next week.

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Think eating healthfully is too expensive for you? Think again. According to the USDA, to ensure a nutritious diet as of December 2014, a family of two aged 19-59 years should spend between $388.90 and $776.10 on food per month, or $89.80 – $179.30 per week. Source

For my family of two adults, I spend roughly $400 a month on groceries or $100 a week – and we eat well. Not caviar and lobster well, but I do manage to serve a predominately paleo diet with little to no processed foods, and I get to throw in a few luxuries here and there (like expensive snacks for the hubbs and the occasional ridiculously expensive bag of coffee). We even manage to buy “good” meat (grass fed beef and free-range chicken) most of the time – and I make this budget work even on the weeks we pay for convenience by getting delivery groceries. I make: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 10 dinners a week – plus enough snacks to satisfy and fuel two active adults.

I’m hoping that this series will help shed a little light on the day-to-day things a “paleo” person really eats — and how that way of eating can work on a budget. I want to nudge anyone sitting on the fence right over the edge by showing that it *can* be done and that you don’t just eat meat, meat, meat and more meat.